Police Seal Up 22 Rivers LG Secretariat On Orders From IG

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called on the people of Rivers State to remain calm despite policemen sealing up of all council secretariats in the  that on the orders of the Inspector General of Police.

Inaugurating the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission  ( RSIEC ) and the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission on Friday,  Governor  Wike  regretted that the Police would  take such an action  despite the  nullification of  local government elections  by the  Federal  High Court.

He said  the  state government  will  always  respect  the rule of law, urging the  people  of  the  state to  be  patient despite  the provocation.

He said : “We woke up  this morning  to witness the change they talked about. The  police took over all the  council  secretariats preventing  the  caretaker  committees from  gaining access”

Speaking further,  Governor  Wike  charged the RSIEC  to conduct credible  local government  elections  in line with  extant laws.

He urged  the  commission to preparations for the  elections as the  caretaker committees will stay  for six months.

The  governor also charged  the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission to take steps to  correct  the  anomalies in the  state judiciary.

Responding, Chairman State Judicial  Service Commission and State Acting Chief Judge, Justice Daisy Okocha assured the governor that members  would  address the challenges  facing the state judiciary.

Chairman of the RSIEC, Justice CI Uriri said that the commission would conduct elections  in  line  with constitutional provisions.

Also on Friday,  the governor  inaugurated  the  Rivers State Civil Service Commission,  the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission and the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission.
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands immediate unsealing of local councils in Rivers State by the Police.

The party described as unconstitutional, reprehensible abuse of power and brazen show of partisanship, the action of the APC-led federal government controlled police in barring caretaker committees lawfully appointed by the state government from taking charge of the councils.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Friday said the action of the police is an affront to the ruling of the High Court, which Thursday dissolved the 22 local government councils unlawfully imposed by the immediate past administration in the state, upon which the caretaker committees were appointed by Governor Nyesom Wike.

The party said “it was curious that the police allowed the dissolution of local government councils and appointment of caretaker committees in APC controlled Plateau and Kaduna states, even when they were without the orders of the court but elected to clamp down on that of Rivers State, which came as a result of judicial pronouncement.”

It therefore charged the Inspector General of Police to come out clean on the matter and assure the nation of the non-partisanship of the police by ordering the immediate unsealing of the councils.

The party said Nigerians and the international community should note the development, which “is a yet another clear indication that the Nigerian police may have become a partisan and compromised instrument in the hands of the APC federal government to destabilize PDP controlled states, particularly Rivers State.